A quiet ministry to those who have given so much
Diane Bates was the first Anna Chaplain in the diocese. Here she talks about the joys and challenges of this unsung ministry supporting an increasingly elderly and frail population.
I am an Anna Chaplain based in the south of the diocese. I was commissioned in October 2021 in Dore Abbey. Anna Chaplaincy is a ministry aimed at equipping churches to support their older church members emotionally, pastorally and spiritually. It is supported by a national organisation of the same name. It is called Anna Chaplaincy after the faithful older woman, Anna, who appears with Simeon in Luke’s Gospel.
The main purposes of an Anna Chaplain are:
• Offering spiritual support to older people who are living in their own homes, in care homes and sheltered housing complexes, their relatives and the staff who look after them
• Promoting the spiritual welfare of older people in the wider community, particularly those facing challenges living independently.
Of course, much ministry to older people already happens in different guises, without the ‘Anna’ label, but Anna Chaplaincy gives a supported identity to this ministry through the Anna Chaplacy network, for both Anna Chaplains and Anna Friends. (Anna Friends work alongside Anna Chaplains, often giving just a few hours a week to suit their own circumstances and play to their strengths and gifts.)
I am based in the West Hereford Team, and I also run the Tea Service at the Hereford Almshouses under the Anna Chaplaincy; also with a little team of Anna Friends we do a lot of work with Dulas Court Nursing Home in Ewyas Harold (including funeral ministry under my Reader ministry banner), also some work with Broomy Hill Care Home. Individual visits to homebound members of congregations are also important.
Everything we do is thanks to the generosity of individuals, and, for all the challenges, it is very rewarding. The Anna Chaplaincy network provides a sense of identity and a supportive community.
There seems to be a growing interest in the ministry and new shoots emerging in Ludlow, Church Stretton and Hereford. Jane Peeler is an Anna Chaplain based in the north of the diocese, in Bridgnorth. Jane was licensed shortly after me in November 2021. As I do, Jane appreciates the gifts older people still have to give, saying shortly after her licensing, “One of the things I feel strongly about is joy; as we age, we continue to be funny, interesting, intelligent, spiritual and compassionate – leading lives that are worthy of being celebrated and valued, not only after death but during life.”
As people live longer, we are dealing with increased frailty; people who once took care of our churches and communities now need spiritual support from us at home or in their care setting. Responding to this growing need as Anna Chaplains keeps us all very busy!
If you are interested to find out more about Anna Chaplaincy, please see the organisation’s website or contact your local minister or our Mission & Ministry Team.
- ENDS -